By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS Google will provide more information on targeted advertisements and give researchers more access

Joanna Schlosser found refuge from advancing wildfires at a winery where she works, but is now dealing with a tourism downturn and other wide-ranging fallout on...

Fillies ranging from Ruffian to Eight Belles as well as male counterparts Barbaro and Mongolian Groom are some of the well-known horse deaths that have occurred in races ranging from the Kentucky Derby to the Breeders' Cup

Ron DeSantis has wrapped up his first tour of early-voting states that took him to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. At a campaign event in New Hampshire, there was a bizarre moment when a woman interrupted the governor’s speech to claim that her son’s murder was being covered up by the state of Florida. Video captured the unidentified woman being escorted out of the event by security as she threw a DeSantis hat to the ground and pulled out one supporting Donald Trump. The incident came hours after Mr DeSantis snapped at a reporter who persisted in asking him why he was posing for pictures with local voters but not taking their questions. “Are you blind?” Mr DeSantis snarled, insisting he was making himself available. The exchange was leapt upon Mr Trump, who branded his top 2024 rival “angry” at a Fox News town hall event in Iowa on Thursday evening. Back in the Sunshine State, a federal judge disqualified himself from overseeing a court case brought against Mr DeSantis by Disney. The governor is also facing mounting criticism over a sweeping new immigration law coming into effect on 1 July. Read More DeSantis lashes out at reporter on New Hampshire campaign visit: ‘Are you blind?’ Woman interrupts DeSantis speech to claim her son’s murder was covered up in Florida DeSantis says ‘petty and juvenile’ Trump can thank his own behaviour for 2020 loss

Barrow have called for life bans after an alleged incident of racist abuse during Tuesday’s win over Morecambe. Dom Telford’s first-half goal settled the match but the main issue occurred off the pitch and was addressed by both clubs after the final whistle. A statement on Barrow’s website read: “We are aware of an allegation of racist abuse being directed at a Barrow AFC staff member during Tuesday evening’s League Two fixture at The So Legal Stadium. “The club would like to make it absolutely clear that we abhor discrimination in all its forms and will take the strongest action possible, including pursuing life bans, for anyone found guilty of racism. “We will be conducting a thorough investigation and would appeal to any fans who may have witnessed any discriminatory abuse to please come forward. We would like to thank Barrow AFC stewards and Barrow police for their swift actions in identifying the individual.” Morecambe added: “We are aware of an incident that has taken place at this evening’s match with Barrow. “Until full details and understanding of the incident have been made clear, the club will not be making any further comment at this time. Morecambe FC stands against all forms of discrimination.” The PA news agency has contacted Cumbria Police for comment. Read More Cristiano Ronaldo rages against referee, crowd and Jordan Henderson in chaotic match The eight-month gap that sums up Manchester United’s alarming decline Fifa’s battle to regulate football agents gains momentum

Fourth-ranked UConn is headed to fifth-ranked Kansas on Friday night for a rare showdown involving the past two national champions

Ukraine claimed the first successes of its counter-offensive on Sunday as it recaptured three villages from Russian forces in the south-east of the country. Unverified footage showed Kyiv’s forces hoisting the Ukrainian flag at a building in the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk region and posing with their unit’s flag in the adjacent village of Neskuchne. The troops also reportedly retook Makarivka, the next village to the south, and advanced between 300 and 1,500 metres in two directions on the southern front, deputy defence Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement. “No positions were lost on the directions where our forces are on the defensive,” Maliar added. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukrainian “counteroffensive and defensive operations” were taking place. Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that a Ukrainian military push was well underway, but that it had failed and had so far suffered “significant losses”. Kyiv has kept information of its counter-offensive secret and urged Ukrainians not to disclose any information that could compromise the operation. The video from Blahodatne showed Ukrainian troops inside a heavily damaged building as the sound of artillery rumbled in the distance. “We’re kicking the enemy out from our native lands. It’s the warmest feeling there is. Ukraine is going to win, Ukraine above everything,” an unidentified soldier said in the video on Facebook. Russia said at least twice this week that it had repelled Ukrainian attacks close by the nearby settlement of Velyka Novosilka. The occupied southeast is seen as a likely priority for Kyiv’s forces that may aim to sever Russia’s land bridge to the annexed peninsula of Crimea and split Russian forces in half. Makarikva is around 90km northwest of the city of Mariupol, which lies on the Sea of Azov on the southern rim of the land bridge. Russia captured the major city last year after besieging and bombarding it for several weeks. Russia has built vast fortifications across occupied territory to prepare for a Ukrainian counterattack using thousands of troops trained and equipped by the West. In her statement, Maliar also said Ukrainian forces were continuing assault operations in the east near the devastated city of Bakhmut and had advanced 250 metres near the Berkhivka Reservoir. Russia said it captured the city of Bakhmut last month after the bloodiest and longest battle of the February 2022 full-scale invasion, but Kyiv has said it has been regaining ground on the flanks of the city. The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said separately that a motorised infantry brigade had advanced on the front line around the eastern city Avdiivka in recent days and captured a Russian position, but it provided no further details. In other developments, the Ukranian president said on Sunday that work has already started on an investigation by the International Criminal Court of the breach of the Kakhovka dam. “Representatives of the International Criminal Court have visited Kherson region in recent days,” Mr Zelensksy said in his nightly video address. “On the very first day after the disaster, the general prosecutor’s office sent a corresponding request to the International Criminal Court concerning an investigation of this disaster and the work has already begun.” Mr Zelensky said it was important that international legal experts saw the aftermath of the disaster, including incidents of shelling of flooded areas. Officials said three people were killed on Sunday in Russian shelling of boats carrying evacuees. The president said Ukrainian rescue teams had evacuated about 4,000 residents from affected zones - including areas on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Kyiv says it has liberated first village in counter-offensive action Air Defender 23: Nato exercise will divert and delay hundreds of planes each day Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau for surprise Ukraine visit The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Britain and the Netherlands are working on an "international coalition" to help Ukraine procure F-16 fighter jets that Kyiv says are vital to its defense as Russia ramps up its its aerial strikes, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Tuesday.

AMSTERDAM Dutch computer chip equipment maker ASML may refuse job applicants on the basis of their nationality when

The sheriff of Bexar County, Texas is recommending criminal charges against those involved with flights that sent 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants from El Paso to Martha’s Vineyard last year, what was widely derided as a political stunt orchestrated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. A statement from the sheriff’s office says it has completed an investigation launched last September and recommended several counts of unlawful restraint, both misdemeanors and felonies, to the office of the Bexar County district attorney. “At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA’s office. Once an update is available, it will be provided to the public,” the statement said. The sheriff’s office has not named suspects. The flights faced international scrutiny following allegations that migrants and their families, who were in the country with legal permission, were deceptively lured into planes out of state after they were processed in the US after crossing the southern border with Mexico, with their asylum cases pending in Texas. “What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people who are already on hard times, they are here legally in the country at that point,” sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement announcing the investigation last year. “They have every right to be where they are, and I believe they were preyed upon – somebody came from out of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they were absolutely looking for, with the knowledge that they were going to cling to whatever hope they could be offered ... to just be exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip,” he said. A federal lawsuit filed by attorneys for a group of migrants last year alleges that the DeSantis administration supervised a “fraudulent and discriminatory scheme” to collect migrants and fly them, unannounced, hundreds of miles out of state. The lawsuit alleges the governor and members of his administration targeted immigrants who were recently released from shelters with false promises of job opportunities, education and financial assistance before they landed on the island with only volunteer support from local groups and emergency assistance from state agencies. The lawsuit includes two unnamed defendants who “targeted” many of the people who boarded the flights, as well as three other unnamed defendants who participated in the alleged scheme, who “manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under the law,” according to the complaint. Those allegations mirror claims from migrants who spoke with reporters about the ordeal, including multiple allegations that a woman identified only as “Perla” was central to an alleged effort to coerce migrants to board the planes, providing cash and McDonald’s gift cards to help recruit others. Mr DeSantis has taken credit for the flight, and his administration has supported legislative efforts to secure $12m in funding for similar operations. The administration has spent more than $1.5m on such flights, according to state records. The sheriff’s announcement follows more migrant flights from Texas to California, which California Attorney General Rob Bonta has likened to “state-sanctioned kidnapping.” Officials and civil rights attorneys are investigating whether the DeSantis administration was also behind those flights; Mr Bonta has stated that the migrants had what appeared to be Florida government documents. “We are also evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants,” he said in a statement this week. “While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting.” The Independent has requested comment from the DeSantis administration. Read More DeSantis news – latest: Casey DeSantis nicknamed ‘Walmart Melania’ over anti-woke leather jacket California officials probe ‘state-sanctioned kidnapping’ of migrants flown in on private jet False promises, a legal investigation and a mystery woman: Unanswered questions about Ron DeSantis's migrant flights

People are hoping to stockpile petrol over fears of a major price increase amid high inflation.

Co-hosts New Zealand are aiming to secure a place in the Women's World Cup knockout stage for the first time on Sunday as former champions Norway seek...